


Anything

by MCUsic_to_my_ears



Series: ScienceBrosWeek2019 [7]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Childhood, Cinderella Elements, Family Fluff, Final Battle, Grief/Mourning, Growing Up, Iron Family, Irondad, Kinda, M/M, Parent Bruce Banner, Parent Tony Stark, Parenthood, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Science Bros, Science Bros Week 2019, Sick Character, Thanos (Marvel) Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 02:57:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20735117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCUsic_to_my_ears/pseuds/MCUsic_to_my_ears
Summary: When a baby is left on their doorstep after the death of Thanos, Bruce and Tony want nothing to do with her. She changes their mind.***SBW 2019 Prompt 7: Anything





	Anything

**Author's Note:**

> So... I kind of missed the deadline. But it's done! Yay!

Tony had never been more thankful for dirt, to just hold it in his hands and watch it solidify with each passing second of added pressure. Similarly, Tony had never been more thankful for Bruce, holding Tony safe in his arms, not letting him trickle away. Stability was the one luxury Tony couldn’t seem to afford. 

After an unfulfilling vengeance that didn’t help relieve the universe of its ashen grief, Bruce found a dead-ending dirt road, placed a stake in the ground and named it home. Tony was helpless but to follow. Months of whole body effort and a house was created, no one but a trusted few delivered the location. 

It was peace, for a couple of months. Just farming trial and error, building a dock on the lake, learning to be whole again. After one of those tired nights after an afternoon spent outside with a battery powered miter saw and a hammer, the men relaxed in their living room, watching  _ Fraiser _ reruns when suddenly, they heard a baby crying. 

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Tony grumbled. “This isn’t _ Cinderella.” _

“You’re thinking of  _ Annie,”  _ Bruce corrected, leading the way to the front porch. 

“I’m thinking of  _ who the hell found our house?” _

Bruce shrugged, glancing at the stained glass above the door. “It’s not exactly conspicuous,” he retorted, opening the door to reveal a swaddled child wailing on the floor. She was tiny, no more than three months old. 

“What are we supposed to do with an infant?”

Bruce looked out at the thick forest. Not a soul in sight. 

“Who do we call?” Tony asked, reaching down for the girl.

“There isn’t anyone, Tony.”

“There isn’t- no, there has to be- I can’t take care of a- a human, Bruce.”

Bruce looked at the baby now sleeping serenely in Tony’s arms, calm in his swaying. “Then what do you call that?”

Restless energy rolled off him, but Tony was unwilling the disturb the child. “We’ll keep her ‘til morning. Then we figure out what to do. I’ll call Pepper, we’ll go into town. Whatever it takes. No one else needs to be lost.”

Bruce admired his partner’s composure despite his anxiety. “No one else,” he agreed. They placed two pillows in the center of their bed and settled her inside.

“We don’t have milk.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Bruce assured. “One day.”

“One day,” Tony echoed.

***

It was not one day. 

That next morning began at 3 AM with the little girl screaming between them, fresh tears unable to communicate her needs. They soothed her as best they could but after a long phone call with Pepper, Bruce went into town to get diapers, formula, and whatever else he could remember that a baby needed. Babysitting Jennifer had been a long time ago. He had bought a single onesie but by the end of the week, they had twenty more, along with a crib and high chair. Adoption agencies, it turned out, weren’t the first on the government’s agenda to rebuild. 

“We’ll find you a good home,” Tony cooed to the giggling girl. “Happy, loving parents. All the formula you could dream of.”

Bruce rested beside the pair, who were diligently working through tummy time. He looked at his partner over his glasses. “Until then, maybe we should give someone a name. Calling her ‘baby’ all the time isn’t helping my inner monologue.”

Tony frowned. “We don’t want to get attached.”

“It’s too late for that.” He eyed Tony’s position on the floor, mirroring the baby’s own position as he played with her fingers. “Now-” Bruce took a sip of his tea. “-Name.” 

Tony peered at the angel before him, her curious eyes always seeking the brightest light. “Pepper had this- this uncle. Or cousin or whatever. He was a real salt of the earth guy. Traveled around a lot, always looking for something better. He knew how to take care of himself though.” 

Bruce bit his lip, watching the engineer from the corner of his eye. “His name?”

“Morgan.”

“It fits.”

Tony swallowed. “It does.”

They stared at the girl, who was oblivious to the ceremony happening in front of her. 

Bruce took a breath. “For a middle name, I was thinking Parker.”

***

Morgan had a fever. Which wouldn’t have been a big deal, except for the fact that she was only five months old and they were twenty miles from the nearest doctor. And they still couldn’t figure out the car seat. 

Tony called Happy while Bruce tried to soothe his little girl. "Yes, at the lake house," he agreed, trying to remain calm. He jammed the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he waited for his friend to confirm that he was on his way, all while jerking the car seat out of the base for the fourth time. No matter what angle he went at, it still wasn’t clicking. 

Happy grumbled about distance, but he wasn't too upset. The ex-bodyguard had fallen just as hard for the baby as all the other family friends. Rhodey hadn't visited yet, but the hologram calls had him cooing galaxies away. 

Happy hung up just as the car seat finally slid into place. Tony sighed with relief, but the moment was gone before it started when Morgan began coughing, her tiny face contorted in pain and confusion. Tony fumed. No one he cared about was supposed to be in that sort of agony. Not if he had anything to say about it. But he didn’t. He wasn’t a doctor, and as much as his husband had learned, neither was Bruce. 

They did their best to comfort their daughter, but with the coughing, she couldn’t relax enough to drink any formula. 

Thankfully, Happy knew how to drive in an emergency and was at their home only twenty minutes later. Tony hefted up the clunky car seat and followed Bruce and Morgan out the door. They buckled their baby in and were off. Bruce stayed in the backseat with their girl. Even though it killed Tony to not be able to provide immediate comfort in response to some of her more desperate sobs, he knew that Bruce was better equipped to handle illness. 

Happy had the foresight to call ahead, so when the emergency room doors opened, there was little wait time. 

At the front desk, Bruce explained the symptoms as concisely as he could holding an inconsolable child. 

The receptionist looked at the pair, Happy off parking the car, skeptically. “And you’re her father?”

“Yes,” both men answered quickly. 

“Aren’t you-” 

“She doesn’t have time for your gossip,” Tony snapped. “She’s sick.”

The woman nodded, quickly coming out of her funk. “Apologies. And when you say coughing, is it a wet or a dry cough?”

“Wet,” Bruce answered impatiently, but willing to jump through as many hoops as necessary to get Morgan the care she needed. A moment later, to the relief of both fathers, she was being whisked off to receive just that.

***

They celebrated Morgan’s first birthday the same day she took her first steps. It was entirely coincidental because the date itself was arbitrary and the real celebration was three months out, but that didn’t stop the excitement of the husbands shared, filming their daughter (although they wouldn’t sheepishly buy each other Father’s Day presents until their second July with her), gleefully rise and stumble for the first time. The brighter light this time being the animal crackers her dad was munching on. 

Her babbles of excitement nearly earned her some too, before Pops swatted Tony for being irresponsible. 

“Just because she has teeth doesn’t mean she can eat those,” Bruce reprimanded playfully, swooping the girl up and blowing softly on her neck to cause her to giggle. He addressed Morgan next, raising her up to look at her. “Now just because you can take a few steps doesn’t mean you’re allowed to grow up just yet, you understand?”

Morgan laughed more under the attention. 

“Oh, don’t listen to him, Mo. I’ll give you the keys to the car right now if you want them.” Tony pulled Morgan into his own arms, gently rocking her. “Hell, I’ll code your fingerprint into the suit if you ask nicely enough.”

“Don’t encourage her,” Bruce requested, stealing an animal cracker from Tony’s now unguarded bowl. 

“You’re not the boss of me!”

“No, you’re right. I do not envy Pepper in the slightest.”

“Hey!” 

***

Morgan walking was bad enough. Nothing could be within her little arm’s length, or else it would end up scattered all across the floor. But this, Bruce reflected, was far worse. 

“Morgan, what did you say?” Bruce asked, shocked and a little elated. 

Tony stared at their daughter in his husband’s arms, unbelieving, but definitely amused. 

“No!” Morgan squealed in delight at her newfound ability to communicate. “No, no, no, no!” she repeated gleefully. 

“This better not be a trend,” Bruce griping, setting their daughter on the ground. She quickly walked away, grinning at getting what she wanted. 

“Don’t jinx us,” Tony insisted, watching their angel waddle over to her stuffed Spider-Man on the sofa. “Dear God, don’t jinx us.” 

***

Bruce hummed a Beatles song softly as he dried their dishes from lunch and slotted them in the rack next to the sink. Soft light trickled in from the window in front of him, reflecting onto the floor where Morgan played with her doll. 

“Daddy!” she called, making grabby hands. 

He chuckled, setting aside the plastic plate where Morgan’s quartered hot dog had been not fifteen minutes earlier. “Yeah, Mo?” he asked, picking her up and settling her feet on the counter. She still held a baby blanket and an old bottle. 

“Help,” she announced proudly, wiping the blanket over the bottle. “All done!” She pushed the bottle into Bruce’s hand. 

“Are you helping Daddy with the dishes?” he asked. 

Morgan nodded emphatically. “Yep!” She watched happily as Bruce placed the dish with the others in the drying rack. 

“Well thank you baby. You’re such a good help.”

Morgan place a over-dramatic kiss on Bruce’s cheek that the father knew Tony taught her before demanding, “Down!” Bruce smiled affectionately before setting his daughter on the floor where she continued to clean her doll’s toy dishes. 

***

Morgan, it turned out, did not like to share. Bruce didn’t exactly blame Tony, but he also didn't  _ not _ blame Tony. Giving their princess whatever she wanted, no repercussions was a bit overkill. Bruce tried to bring at least a semblance of discipline into the house. At least, when Morgan’s puppy dog eyes weren’t at full blast. Which they were as she kindly asked her playmate to abandon his red toy truck to her. 

“Mo, it’s not yours,” Bruce reminded his daughter. She deepened her pout, crossing her little arms. “Give it back to your friend please. Now,” he added gently. 

Frowning, the two year old passed it back to her fellow playgroup attendee. 

After realizing how little human interaction their mini-me was receiving, the fathers had signed her up for the nearest toddler-centric event. 

Although she was having fun. Morgan was a bit on the fence about the idea of other potential centers of attention. Her early competitiveness peaking out. 

Morgan turned her attention toward a tipped over bucket full of brightly colored blocks. A couple other toddlers were building small towers from the different shapes, and Morgan decided to join them. After a few attempts to use triangles as her base, she turned to the purple and green squares and began stacking. 

“Dad look!” she exclaimed, pointing excitedly at her masterpiece, consisting of eight or so blocks. It tipped over about three stacked blocks later. She shrieked gleefully and started again, experimenting with the circles for a moment before returning to the cornered rectangles and squares. 

When an eighteen month old tugged a blue piece from her, she helped pass it over. Bruce and Tony grinned at that. 

***

The first time Morgan watched Tony take off in the suit, Bruce knew it was over. Their daughter would never stop looking for faster, better, stronger after that. Her eyes would never leave the sky. 

Bruce layered her up with elbow pads and a pink helmet in an attempt to protect her from that same gaze on her third birthday as she mounted a shiny tricycle. 

Tony rolled his eyes, but tugged on the helmet straps all the same. 

Morgan called, “Look, Dad!” as she raced down the driveway, little legs pumping as fast as she could. Out of all that might have been before Thanos, Bruce knew he never would have felt joy like this. Her giggles were a blast of dopamine and he was beyond addicted. 

“She’s perfect,” Tony murmured into Bruce’s shoulder, hiding in vain from the beating sun. 

“She is,” Bruce breathed. 

***

After the battle, Tony couldn’t let Peter go. The amount of restraint he’d had going through the quantum realm and then again during the fight to not grab his kid and hide him away was insurmountable. But it was over. It was over, and Peter was in his arms, breathing and  _ solid.  _ Bruce caught Tony by the shoulder and hugged him tight, burrowing Peter into their hold. 

When Steve had shown up at their doorstep… Bruce knew that he wouldn’t stop until he’d succeeded. He had called Happy to stay with Morgan while the husbands traveled to the Avenger’s Compound. In a world where Bruce didn’t have Morgan, he knew that he would already be there, fiddling with the same time travel technology that Tony perfected in a night. 

But it was over now.

Tony sobbed as Bruce pulled Peter away from him so that Helen Cho could begin the field surgery on his charred arm, the gauntlet still clutched in his fingers. 

“Dr. Banner?” Peter gasped, tears in his eyes. 

“It’s so good to have you back Peter. You’re safe now.”

Peter shook his head. “Where- where’s my aunt? Where are we going?”

“We’re going home, Peter. We’ll find your aunt when we get there. In fact, FRIDAY?”

“Yes boss?” the AI responded from the tinny speakers on the med evac jet. 

“Locate May Parker and send her to the cabin.”

FRIDAY illuminated the blue LEDs, her equivalent of a nod, before shutting the lights back off. On the other end of the jet, Helen ordered her surgeons to remove the Iron Gauntlet. Bruce turned Peter back toward him. 

“He’s going to be okay, Peter. Helen’s the best. And Tony wouldn’t let you go after he just got you back. You’re the reason that this happened. We’ve never forgotten you.”

Peter broke at that, sobbing as Bruce pulled the boy close to his chest. 

The doctor shushed him, rubbing his back. But the comforting only made him yearn for his own child. “FRIDAY, call Happy for me please.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bruce?” the ex-bodyguard asked.

“Yeah, Hap. I’m here. We did it.”

“Is Tony-?”

Bruce swallowed. “He’s in surgery. We’re heading back to the cabin now. How’s Morgan?”

Peter peeked up at Bruce. 

“She’s alright. Worried about her dads.”

“Put me on the phone?” Bruce requested, running a hand through his hair before continuing to rub Peter’s shuddering back. 

There was noise of Happy moving. “Of course.”

“Daddy?” Morgan called, voice wet with tears. 

Tension rushed out of Bruce. “Hi baby,” he breathed. “Dad and I are coming home now, okay? We’ve got a friend for you do meet.”

“I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, Morgan. Oh my, God, I love you. Listen to Uncle Happy, okay?”

“Okay.”

Bruce got his daughter to put Happy back on the phone, who confirmed that Pepper and Rhodey were also on their way back to the cabin. He promised to keep an eye on where the other Avengers were going and told Bruce to get some rest before he got home. Peter himself had already fallen asleep in Bruce’s lap. 

Thirty minutes later, they had landed and Tony was stabilized in their bedroom, where Morgan had set up camp, curled up next to his side. 

Peter stirred awake when Bruce set him down on an arm chair across from Tony. “Misser Star’?” he slurred. 

Bruce smiled softly. “He’s asleep Peter.”

The teen squinted at Tony, and then a sleeping Morgan. “Who’s tha’?”

“That’s Morgan. She’s our daughter.”

“Oh.” Peter blinked for a moment, trying to bring the world into focus. He succumbed to sleep moments later. 

In the morning, when Pepper and Rhodey had arrived, Tony was semi-lucid again, sitting up in bed. Morgan refused to leave her dad’s side, and for that matter, so did Peter. They both, much to the adults’ amusement, settled on the floor of the bedroom playing dolls. Happy left to pick up May Parker from her apartment and would be back within the hour. Bruce surveyed his family, a weary smile on his face. He knew what he had fought for. He knew who he would fight for. 


End file.
